of beauty
    论美
    francis bacon/弗朗西斯·培根
    virtue is like a rich stone,best plain set;and surely virtue is best,in a body that is comely,though not of delicate features;and that hath rather dignity of presence,than beauty of aspect.
    neither is it almost seen,that very beautiful persons are otherwise of great virtue;as if nature were rather busy,not to err,than in labor to produce excellency.and therefore they prove accomplished,but not of great spirit;and study rather behavior,than virtue.but this holds not always:for augustus caesar,titus vespasianus,philip le belle of france,edward the fourth of england,alcibiades of athens,ismael the sophy of persia,were all high and great spirits;and yet the most beautiful men of their times.
    美德好比宝石,在朴素背景的衬托下反而会显得更加华丽。同样。一个打扮并不华贵,却端庄、严肃且具有高尚美德的人是令人肃然起敬的,这与所谓的外表美毫无关系。
    美貌的人并不见得在其他才能上也会显得出众,就仿佛天地在创造万事万物之时,只求无过,不求完美一样。因此,许多容貌出众的人往往一无所有。他们所追求的不过是外在的东西,而不是高尚的品德。但这种观点也并非绝对,比如罗马的奥古斯塔斯?凯撒、菲斯帕斯,法国俊美的菲利普,英王爱德华四世,雅典的阿尔西巴底斯,波斯王伊梅尔等。他们不但是品德高尚的人,而且。他们又是各自时期远近闻名的美男子。
    in beauty,that of favor,is more than that of color;and that of decent and gracious motion,more than that of favor.that is the best part of beauty,which a picture cannot express;no,nor the first sight of the life.there is no excellent beauty,that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.a man cannot tell whether apelles,or albert durer,were the more trifler;whereof the one,would make a personage by geometrical proportions;the other,by taking the best parts out of divers faces,to make one excellent.such personages,i think,would please nobody,but the painter that made them.not but i think a painter may make a better face than ever was;but he must do it by a kind of felicity (as a musician that maketh an excellent air in music),and not by rule.a man shall see faces,that if you examine them part by part,you shall find never a good;and yet altogether do well.
    就美而言,形体之美要胜于外貌之美,而端庄优雅的行为之美又胜于形体之美。最高境界的美是无法用图画表现出来的。也无法在生活中一眼看透。每种绝妙之美都有其独特之处。没有人可以告诉我们阿佩利斯与艾伯特?杜勒二人谁更玩世不恭,他们一个是按照几何比例描绘人像。另一个则通过选取不同人身上的最佳部位创造出最完美的画像。这些画坛名人画出来的画恐怕只会取悦他们自身,而其他人是不会喜欢的。我并非认为画家无法画出一张更加美丽的脸,只是觉得他们应该用一种更加巧妙的绘画方式来做到这一点(就如同音乐家创作出一曲优美的歌一样),而不是只凭借呆板的公式。我们常会看到这样的面孔,如果只是从局部加以观察,是找不到什么优点的,但作为一个整体却非常美丽。
    if it be true that the principal part of beauty is in decent motion,certainly it is no marvel,though persons in years seem many times more amiable;pulchrorum autumnus pulcher;for no youth can be comely but by pardon,and considering the youth,as to make up the comeliness.beauty is as summer fruits,which are easy to corrupt,and cannot last;and for the most part it makes a dissolute youth,and an age a little out of countenance;but yet certainly again,if it light well,it maketh virtue shine,and vices blush.
    如果美的主体的确存在于端庄的举止之间,那么有些人在年老的时候反而会显得更加可爱就不足为奇了。人们常说:“美丽的人,即便是到了暮年也是美丽的。”美就像盛夏里的果实,很难保持长久。它通常会使许多人在年轻的时候过着放荡不羁的生活,在年老的时候却悔恨不已。不过,毫无疑问,如果美能恰如其分地展现,那么就会使人们身上的美德昭然,恶行羞隐。(未完待续)

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